It has been a long journey… I am very pleased to announce that our systematic review paper on Learning Analytics and Instructional Design, conducted in collaboration with colleagues from Purdue University in the United States, has been accepted for publication in IEEE Access!! I would like to thank the reviewers for their very important comments, which I believe helped us refine the paper and ensure it addresses the key points effectively. As it is an open-access journal, it is available for free.

M. Yamada, F. Dadashipour, Basori, X. Wang, Y. Maeda, J.C. Richardson, X. Geng, and Y. Goda, “The Intersection of Learning Analytics and Instructional Design: A Decade of Empirical Evidence,” in IEEE Access, vol. 14, pp. 99240-99279, 2026, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3708430.

Since the early days of Learning Analytics research, it has been primarily driven by researchers in information science, cognitive psychology, and educational psychology. In recent years, intervention studies have also begun to emerge. However, in school settings—and this paper specifically focuses on higher education—it is crucial not to forget the existence of the classroom itself. I believe it is essential to consider Learning Analytics only after first understanding the nature of the instruction being provided. This review paper covers the period from January 2011, when the first Learning Analytics and Knowledge conference (the top conference in the field) was held, to January 2026. It reviews research on the application of theories related to Learning Analytics and Instructional Design in the field of higher education. We have organized our findings on the theories used in Instructional Design, the perspectives evaluated, the logs utilized, the barriers to successfully integrating Learning Analytics and Instructional Design, and practical implementation strategies.

If you are interested in the relationship between Instructional Design and Learning Analytics in a practical context, please feel free to read the paper, as it is available for free.

Below are some thoughts I had while writing this review paper. As someone who has been involved in Learning Analytics research for many years, conducting this literature review and writing the paper gave me a lot to reflect on.

When it comes to Instructional Design, there is almost no research applying Learning Analytics to traditional models like ADDIE or ARCS. There are only a few cases. I wonder why that is… perhaps they are not interested in each other, or perhaps they do not feel the need… (laughs). That said, I think we are entering an era where it could be argued that “evaluating or designing instruction based solely on subjective information is irresponsible for Instructional Design and fails to meet accountability standards.”

Learning Analytics is, after all, merely a method for data collection and analysis. Therefore, even if it is led by information science or if the name “Learning Analytics” eventually disappears, it will likely survive. But what about Instructional Design? As I was reviewing the literature, I felt a sense of crisis as someone with a deep attachment to Educational Technology, fearing that it might be swallowed up if things continue this way. As a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary field, Educational Technology has flexibility, but it is entirely possible for it to be absorbed. I felt the same concern for Instructional Design, which could be considered a discipline within Educational Technology.

Furthermore, I believe that the era of Learning Analytics has reached a point of convergence, or perhaps it has fulfilled its role in a specific period of time. Just as our Learning Analytics Center has come to an end, these tools are becoming widely used as standard instruments. It is precisely in this situation that I hope this paper will be useful.

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However, I have had enough of writing review papers for a while. This was far too heavy… I am exhausted. I believe that for a researcher working at a Japanese university to write a review paper, they need an environment where they can truly focus on their research. It is certainly not something one can do while juggling heavy administrative duties.